French Cabbage and Sausage Soup (Soupe Paysanne)

Known in French as Soupe Paysanne, this Cabbage and Sausage Soup is a rustic recipe that takes centre stage on French family tables throughout Winter. Every region and family have their own twist on it, but always with a hearty mix of vegetables and meats.

This one is loaded with cabbage, carrots, leek, smoked pork sausage and potatoes in a flavourful broth. It is a perfectly hearty, stick-to-your-ribs soup that satisfies and warms you up during colder days.

What is Soupe Paysanne?

Translating literally to “Peasant Soup”, Soupe Paysanne refers to a chunky French soup that combine vegetables, potatoes and pork, cooked in a broth. Like its name suggests, it used to be made by farmers making do with seasonal vegetables and cured or smoked meat, to make hearty soups during colder days.

There is no precise recipe, and you may include what’s in season. But given this is a Winter dish, you will often find it made with cabbage, leeks, carrots and potatoes, which are all widely available during the colder months.

As for the meat, smoked pork is almost always the choice for making French peasant soup, as it imparts so much delicious flavor to the broth. It can in the form of smoked bacon, ham hock or smoked sausage – my personal favorite! 

The Soupe Paysanne is not really a dish you will find on a restaurant menu in France. But it is a very popular recipe amongst home cooks as it’s simple, satisfying and you can easily put your own twist on it too.

Ingredients you’ll need to make this French Cabbage and Sausage Soup

This is one of my favorite soups to make in the Winter, and my husband loves it too! It is hearty, so flavorful and has a great ratio of vegetables vs. meat. I especially love to make it during weekends, where I can just let the soup simmer on the stove while I read a book in the living room.

Here is the list of ingredients you need to make this soup at home.

1. Smoked sausage: In France, the Soupe Paysanne is typically made with “Saucisse de Morteau”, a traditional pork smoked sausage from Eastern France. It has a strong smoky taste and a dense, delicious texture. As a substitute, you can use a regular smoked pork sausage, a smoked pork kielbasa or even a smoked pork Bratwurst. Although you can find those in grocery stores, the ones from your local butcher will likely taste better and be less fatty.
2. Onion and garlic: They act as a great base to build flavor for this soup. I like to use three garlic cloves for this soup, but feel free to use one less or one more if you would like.
3. Leek: We are using only the white part of the leek for this soup.
4. Carrots: 3 carrots are used in this soup. They are peeled and roughly chopped.
5. Green Cabbage: For this recipe, we are using about 10 large leaves of green cabbage. You need to core the leaves and slice them in very thin strips (shred). My tip for when shopping for a green cabbage is to make sure the leaves are blemish free and attached well to the base.
6. Potatoes: the potatoes make this soup even heartier! I recommend using potatoes that are on the medium-starch side as they will hold their shape in the soup, such as Yukon Gold potatoes.
7. Vegetable stock: You will need vegetable stock, ideally low sodium, to cook everything together.
8. Bay leaves and thyme: These two aromatics add a very subtle flavor to the soup, which is very lovely.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store this Cabbage and Sausage Soup?

You can store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I strongly recommend not keeping it any longer as cabbage will ferment and give an off-flavor.

This soup freezes quite well too. Transfer the cooled soup into a freezer friendly airtight container and keep it for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the soup thaw in the fridge before heating it through on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Audrey’s tips:

• Because smoked sausage usually has an assertive salty flavor, I do not add extra salt to this soup. But feel free to add a pinch to taste if you would like.
• If you feel like you would like to use a little more or a little less meat and/or vegetables, it is completely fine. This soup is very forgiving. When you add the broth to the pot, just make sure it covers the meat and vegetable so they all cook properly.

I hope you’ll love this French Cabbage and Sausage Soup (Soupe Paysanne) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. 

More regional French soups to try: 

• Roasted Carrot Soup 
• Classic French Lentil Soup 
• Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup 
• Classic French Carrot Soup (Soupe Crécy)
• Provençal Garlic Soup (Aïgo Boulido)
• Watercress Soup (Soupe de Cresson)
• Split Pea Bacon Soup (Potage Saint Germain)
• Smoked Ham Hock Bean Cabbage Soup (Garbure)
• Fresh Tomato Soup Velouté 
• Creamy Leek and Potato Soup (Soupe Vichyssoise)

French Cabbage and Sausage Soup (Soupe Paysanne)

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 55 Minutes 55 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.5/5

( 4 voted )

Ingredients

1 tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 large smoked sausage (about 200g), sliced in coins
1 onion, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 leek, white part only, cut in ½-inch half rounds
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
10 leaves of green cabbage, cored and shredded
2 potatoes (150g), peeled and cubed
4 cups (1L) vegetable stock, ideally low sodium (or more, if needed, to cover the soup)
3 bay leaves
4-5 thyme sprigs
½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

Step 1 - Add the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is sizzling, add the sliced sausage and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer the cooked sausage onto a plate and discard of the majority of the rendered fat at the bottom of the pot.

Step 2 - Place the sausage pieces back into the pot with the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion is fragrant and translucent. Add the leek and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the leek is slightly softened. Add the chopped carrots, cook for 2 minutes. Add the shredded cabbage, cook for 2 minutes.

Step 3 -Lastly, add the cubed potatoes, the stock, bay leaves, thyme and black pepper. The liquid should just cover the vegetables and sausage.

Step 4 - Cover with a lid, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the carrot pieces are very tender. Serve immediately with bread on the side.